Methods of and apparatus for consolidating textile slivers



24, 1970 v. SOWERBY 3,496, METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONSOLIDATING TEXTILE SLIVERS Filed Feb. 7, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 24, 1970 v. SOWERBY 3,

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METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONSOLIDATING TEXTILE SLIVERS Filed Feb. 7, 1968 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 g cl c2 FIGS) United States Patent 3,496,862 METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONSOLIDATIN G TEXTILE SLIVERS Vernon Sowerby, Leeds, England, assignor to Taylor Wordsworth & Co. Ltd., Leeds, Yorkshire, England, a British company Filed Feb. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 707,011 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 7, 1967, 5,851/ 67 Int. Cl. B30b 1/08, 15/26 US. Cl. 100-53 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for forming a package or a bump from textile slivers and which is coiled in a can and built up on a support element in the can. The apparatus has a pressure member that is movable from a position outside of the can to a position at the entrance to or inside the can. The sliver support element is movable between the pressure member and the support element to initially compress the sliver in the can and maintain the compression. Both the pressure member and the support element are moved to a position outside of the can where further compression of the sliver is eifected.

The present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for consolidating textile slivers and is particularly concerned with the forming into packages, commonly known as bumps, of sliver collected in coiler cans.

It is usual practice to coil wool sliver into a cylindrical can around a central vertical spindle so that it builds up on a false bottom plate of the can to which the spindle is connected. When the can is full of sliver, it is placed in a press where the upper end of the spindle is seized and drawn upwardly out of the can, bringing with it the false bottom plate which compresses the coiled sli-ver against the underside of a stationary pressure plate mounted above the can.

In presses hitherto proposed, the pressure plate is mounted above the can so that the sliver lifted out of the can, by raising the false bottom plate, compresses against the underside of the pressure plate to form a package which can, after tying, be withdrawn laterally in the space provided between the pressure plate and the top of the can. It has however been found that there is a loss of control of the sliver in the region between the pressure plate and the top of the can and that distortion of the sliver bundle is encountered in this region as soon as the sliver is subjected to compression against the pressure plate, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of and apparatus for forming packages or bumps of textile sliver.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming packages or bumps of textile sliver from sliver coiled into a can and built up on a displaceable support member in the can, comprising the steps of applying to the top of the sliver in the can a pressure member, causing relative displacement between the pressure member and the support member to compress the sliver whilst it is in the can, withdrawing the coiled sliver from the can whilst under compression between the pressure member and the support member, subjecting the sliver to further compression by further relative movement between the pressure member and the support member, securing the sliver as a package or bump whilst under compression and then disengaging the support member from the package for return to the can.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for forming packages or bumps from textile sliver coiled into a can and built up on a support member in the can, comprising a pressure member displaceable between a position outside the can and a position at the entrance to or inside the can, means for engaging the sliver support member and causing relative displacement between the pressure member and the support member to compress the sliver in the can therebetween and maintain a predetermined initial compression of the sliver, and means for displacing the pressure member together with the engaged support member to a position outside the can where further compression of the sliver can be effected by further relative displacement between the support member and the pressure member.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bump press according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the press shown in FIG. 1 showing the head in a raised position,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the press shown in FIG. 2 with the head in a lowered position,

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the press shown in FIG. 1 illustrating an anti-lift locking arrangement for the can,

FIG. 5 is a side elevation similar to that shown in FIG. 3 with a bundle of sliver under initial compression,

FIG. 6 is a side elevation similar to that shown in FIG. 3 with the head raised and the sliver bundle under initial compression,

FIG. 7 is a side elevation similar to that shown in FIG. 3 with the head raised and the sliver bundle under final compression ready for tying,

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a hydraulic circuit for operating the lifting and pressure rams of the press shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 9 is a diagram of an electrical circuit for controlling the operation of the hydraulic circuit shown in FIG. 8.

In FIG. 1, there is shown a press for consolidating wool sliver collected in coiler cans for forming it into a package or bump comprises a press head 11 in the form of a cantilever beam structure mounted for vertical sliding movement on a pair of spaced vertical supporting columns 12 and 13-. The head -11 comprises two spaced vertical tubular beams 14 and 15 arranged for vertical sliding movement on the fixed supporting columns 12 and 13 and to the upper ends of which is welded a forwardly extending horizontal cantilever mounting plate 16 reinforced by a vertically arranged reinforcing side plate 17 extending from the tubular beam beneath the plate along each side thereof. The lower ends of the tubular beams 14 and 15 are braced by a vertically arranged plate 18 extending between them, and from the lower end of each beam there extend cantilever arms '19 and 20 formed with downwardly inclined end portions. The cantilever arms 19 and 20 support a horizontally arranged circular pressure plate 21 of a diameter slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the coiler cans, the pressure plate 21 being formed with upstanding metal strips 22 and 23 on the upper face thereof to which the ends of the two cantilever arms 19 and 20 are welded. Reinforcing struts 24 and 25 extend vertically from the underside of the mounting plate 16 to the pressure plate in the region of the connection of the cantilever arms 19 and 20 to the pressure plate 21, and the cantilever arms 19 and 20 are further reinforced by a horizontal bracing plate 26 extending between them in the region of the lower ends of the tubular beams 14 and 15.

The spaced fixed vertical supporting columns 12 and 13 on which the tubular beams 14 and 15 of the head 11 slide are rigidly mounted in a base structure 27 anchored to the floor and the head 11 is adapted to be raised by a vertically arranged hydraulic ram 28, hereinafter referred to as the lifting ram 28, mounted between the two supporting columns 12 and 13 so that when extended it bears up against the horizontal bracing plate 26 between the cantilever arms 19 and 20, causing the head 11 to rise on the supporting columns 12 and 13.

The cantilever mounting plate 16 of the head 11 carries at its outermost end a further hydraulic ram, hereinafter referred to as the pressure ram 29 and comprising a vertically arranged hydraulic cylinder 30 extending upwardly from the mounting plate 16 and controlling the longitudinal displacement of a vertical ram rod 31 extending beneath the mounting plate 16 and terminating at a central aperture in the pressure plate 21 where it is provided with a collet 32 which can, as best seen in FIG. 2, be engaged with or disengaged from the upper end of a central vertical spindle 33 attached to and extending upwardly from a false bottom plate 34 in the coiler can 35 and projecting from the top of the sliver in the can 35.

In operation, the press head 11 is raised to its top position, as shown in FIG. 2, on the supporting columns 12 and 13 under the action of the lifting ram 28 whilst the pressure ram 29 is set to hold the collet 32 at its lowest position, as shown in FIG. 2, adjacent the central aperture in the pressure plate 21. Can 35 mounted on casters is wheeled into position beneath the pressure plate 21, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and is held by a retaining button 36 (FIG. 4) on the bottom of the can 35 engaging in a slot in a channel member 37 secured to the floor 38, the arrangement being such that the can 35 is located in a position concentric with the pressure plate 21 and is restrained by the channel member 37 from being lifted during withdrawal of the coiled sliver from the can 35. The head 11 is then lowered on its supporting columns by retraction of the lifting ram until the pressure plate enters the can 35, as shown in FIG. 3, whereupon the upstanding central spindle 33 extending from the false bottom plate 34 of the can and around which the coiled formation of sliver is formed passes through the central aperture in the pressure plate 21 and is engaged by the collet 32 carried by the ram rod 31. The collet 32 is then actuated so as to grip the spindle 33 and the pressure ram 29 is then retracted so as to raise the collet 32 to a position shown in FIG. and thereby lift the can spindle 33 and false bottom plate 34 to compress the sliver in the can against the pressure plate 21, the pressure ram 29 being arrested at an intermediate position in its retraction to hold the sliver under a predetermined compression.

The lifting ram 28 is next actuated to raise the press head, thereby raising the pressure plate 21, the precompressed sliver bundle 39 and the spindle 33 and false bottom plate 34, and bringing them to an elevated position, as shown in FIG. 6, in which the false bottom plate 34 is above the level of the top of the can 35. The pressure ram 29 is then again actuated so as to cause the ram rod 31 to retract to its fullest extent and lift the collet 32 and the false bottom plate 34 a further amount in relation to the pressure plate 21, as illustrated in FIG. 7, thereby subjecting the sliver bundle between the false bottom 34 and the pressure plate 21 to a further final compression. The pressure ram is then held at this position of maximum retraction.

The bundle of sliver 39 held in its compressed state between the pressure plate 21 and the false bottom plate 34 is then secured by passing strings 40 around the bundle and through grooves 41 provided in the pressure plate 21 and the false bottom plate 34. The flow of hydraulic fluid to the pressure ram 29 is then reversed so that the collet 32 is lowered, carrying with it the spindle 33 and false bottom plate 34, and the arrangement is such that at the bottom of the stroke of the pressure ram 29 when the collet 32 takes up a position adjacent the opening in the pressure plate 21 the collet 32 automatically opens allowing the spindle 33 and false bottom plate 34 to fall back freely into the empty can 35 ready for a subsequent coiling operation.

A spring plate 42 secured at one end to the underside of the pressure plate 21 is employed to support the compressed bundle 39, the tying strings 40 of which are arranged to pass over the spring plate 42, and after the spindle 33 and false bottom plate 34 have been returned to the empty can 35 the compressed bundle 39 of sliver is slid off the free end of the spring plate 42 and removed from the vicinity of the press.

Precompression of the sliver within the can ensures better control of the sliver bundle 39 as it is lifted from the can 35 for final compression. This gives a neater bundle free from the distortion often encountered in arrangements in which the pressure plate 21 is maintained above the can and the sliver subjected to compression against it. It will of course be appreciated that the final compression of the bundle 39 takes place above the level of the can so that removal of the bundle from the empty can can be made without difficulty.

The collet 32 provided on the pressure ram 29 in the embodiment of the invention hereinbefore described may be as described in British patent specification No. 877, 279.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the pressure ram 29 is controlled 'by hydraulic fluid fed thereto from a solenoidoperated valve V1 provided with switching solenoids S2 and S4, fluid under pressure being fed to the valve V1 along pressure line 43 from a gear pump 44 driven by a squirrel cage pump motor 45. Fluid is fed to or returned from the upper and lower ends of the cylinder 30 through lines 46 and 47, the latter of which includes a combined variable orifice valve and check valve V5 and a pilot operated check valve V6. Upon the energisation of the solenoid S2, the valve V1 moves to a position in which the pressure line 43 is connected to the line 47 while the line 46 is connected to the tank of the fluid system, and energisation of the solenoid S4 causes the valve to connect the pressure line 43 to the line 46 and the line 47 to the tank.

The lifting ram 28 comprising a cylinder 48 and a lifting rod 49 is controlled by hydraulic fluid fed thereto from a valve V2 controlled by solenoids S1 and S3 and connected to the high pressure fluid line 43. Fluid is supplied to or returned from the upper or lower ends of the cylinder 48 through lines 50 and 51, the latter of which includes valves V5 and V6 corresponding to the valves V5 and V6. As will be seen the energisation of the solenoid S3 causes the valve V2 to connect the pressure line 43 to the line 51 and the line 50 to the tank, and energisation of the solenoid 51 causing the valve V2 to connect the pressure line 43 to the line 50 and the line 51 to the tank. The pressure line 43 is connected through a relief valve V3 to an unloading valve V4 controlled by a solenoid S5, the solenoid S5, when energised, causing the valve V4 to connect the pressure line 43 to tank and upon de-energisation permitting the valve to return under spring-loading to a position in which the tank is isolated from the pressure line 43.

Referring now to FIG. 9, an alternating current supply is fed to terminals L1, L2 and L3 which are connected through an isolator switch SW1 and contacts pcl of a pump contactor PC to the pump motor 45. The alternating current supply is fed to a primary winding .of a transformer TR1 and through normally-open contacts to the solenoids S1 to S5. As will be seen, energisation of solenoids S1 to S5 is controlled by contacts of relays RA, RB, RC, RE and RF, which together with relays RD, RG and RH are energised from the secondary winding .of the transformer TR1 when appropriate contacts in their energising circuits are closed. It will be seen that apart from the holding contacts of the relays RA to RH there are five contacts cal to ca5 which switch over momentarily in succession under the control of five cams carried on a common shaft driven by a timer motor TM the energising circuit of which is supplied with current from the secondary winding of the transformer TR1. In addition, a green indicator lamp GL, an amber indicator lamp AL and a red indicator lamp RL are arranged to be energised from the secondary winding of the transformer TR1 at appropriate times in the cycle of operation of the press. The circuit furthermore includes a start button STl and a stop button SP1 included in the energising circuit of the pump contactor PC and a further start button PS1 employed for starting the cycle of operation of the press.

The timing motor TM, when ope-rated, turns the cam shaft one complete revolution in 20 seconds, the cam operated switches cal to caS being normally open in the position shown in FIG. 9 and closed momentarily, the arrangement being such that contacts cal operate after 3 seconds, contacts ca2 after 5 /3 seconds, contacts ca3 after 11 /3 seconds, contacts ca4 after 14 seconds and contacts caS after 20 seconds.

In operation, the start button ST1 is manually closed, causing the pump contactor PC to become energised and close its contacts pcl thereby completing the supply circircuit to the pump motor 45. Contacts 1202 also close to hold the timing motor in operation after release of the start button ST1. Upon closure of the contacts p01, alternating current is supplied to the transformer TR1 and the green indicator lamp GL becomes illuminated to indicate that the press is ready to commence a cycle of operation. The press start button PS1 is then closed, causing energisation of the coils of the relays RA and RF. Relay RF has seven contacts, contacts rfl and rf2 closing upon energisation of the relay and causing the energisation of solenoid S5, which it will be recalled operates the unloading valve V4, moving the latter to a position in which the pressure line 43 is disconnected from the tank. Contacts rf3 open to extinguish the green indicator lamp GL and contacts rf4 close to illuminate the amber indicator lamp AL. Contacts #5 close causing energisation of the timer motor TM. Holding contacts rf6 close to hold the relay RF energised while normallyclosed contacts rf7 in the energising circuit to the relay RD open. Contacts m1 and m2 of the relay RA close causing solenoid S1 to operate, in response to which the valve V2 switches over to the position in which the pressure line 43 is connected to the line 50 so that fluid under pressure is fed to the upper end of the cylinder 48 of the lifting ram 28 thereby causing the head to be lowered. Contacts m3 of the relay RA close so as to hold the relay RA energised when the press start button PS1 is released. After a period of three seconds from the starting of the timer motor TM the first cam on the cam shaft operates contacts cal which switch over from the position shown in the drawing, causing the de-energisation of the relay RA and the energisation of the relay RB. The contacts rbl and rb2 of the relay RB close the energising circuit of the solenoid S2 which upon energisation switches over the valve V1 to the position in which the pressure line 43 is connected to the line 47, thereby causing the ram rod 31 carrying the collet engaging the spindle to rise. Contacts r113 open, contacts rb4 close to hold the relay RB energised and contacts r125 open.

After a period of 5% seconds from the commencement of the operating cycle, the second cam on the cam shaft momentarily switches over the contacts ca2, causing the de-energisation of the relay RB and the energisation of the relay RC. Contacts rcl and rc2 close, causing the energisation of the solenoid S3 which moves the valve V2 to the position in which the pressure line 43 is connected to the line 51, whereupon fluid under pressure is fed to the lower end of the lifting ram 28 causing the press head to be raised. Contacts rc3 open to prevent reenergisation of the relay RA while contacts rc4 close to hold the relay RC energised. Contacts rcS in the energising circuit for the relays RG and RH open.

After 11 /3 seconds from the commencement of the cycle, a third cam on the the cam shaft momentarily switches over the contacts ca3, causing the de-energisation of the relay RC and the energisation of the relay RB, whereupon the contacts rbl and rb2 again close causing the energisation of the solenoid S2, the switching over the valve V1 and the further lifting of the pressure ram rod 31 of the pressure ram 29, with the result that the can base plate 34 is further raised to bring the sliver bundle under further compression.

After 14 seconds from. the commencement of the cycle, a fourth cam on the cam shaft momentarily switches over the contacts ca4, causing de-energisation of the relays RB and RF and the energisation of relay RD. The release of relay RF which has been held energised from the commencement of the operating cycle causes the solenoid S5 to become de-energised and the unloading valve V4 to move to a position in which the pressure line 43 is connected to the tank. Contacts rf3 close, causing the green indicator lamp GL to illuminate and contacts rf4 open. In addition, contacts rf5 open causing the timer motor to be brought to rest. Holding contacts rf6 open and contacts rf7 close. The energisation of the relay RD causes contacts rdl to close so that the amber indicator lamp AL becomes illuminated as well as the green indicator lamp GL. The normally closed contacts rd2 open while the normally open contacts rd3 close. Furthermore holding contacts rd4 close to hold the relay RD energised. The normally closed contacts rdS in the energising circuit for the relays RG and RH open. At this stage in the operating cycle the sliver bundle has been subjected to final compression and is raised clear of the can. The timer motor TM has stopped and the sequence of operations interrupted until the bundle has been removed and the press start button PS1 again operated.

Upon depression of the press start button PS1, relays RE and RF become energised, while relay RD remains energised. The energisation of the relay RF causes, by closure of the contacts rfl and rd2, the energisation of the solenoid S5 and the operation of the unloading valve V4 to disconnect the pressure line 43 from the tank. Contacts rf3 open while contacts rf4 close. Contacts rf5 close whereupon the timer motor TM is again set in operation. Holding contacts rf6 close to hold the relay RF energised, while the normally closed contacts rf7 open. The energisation of relay RE causes, by closure of its contacts rel and re2, the energisation of the solenoid S4 so that the valve V1 moves to a position in which the pressure line 43 is connected to the line 46, whereupon the pressure ram carrying the spindle engaging collet 32 is lowered until it reaches and strikes the pressure plate 21 which causes the collet 32 to release the spindle 33. The restarting the timer motor TM causes after an interval of 20 seconds from the commencement of the cycle, that is say, after a complete revolution of the cam shaft, the fifth cam on the cam shaft momentarily operates the contacts c which thereupon cause the release of the relays RD, RE and RF. As a result of this, the timing motor TM is brought to rest, the solenoids S5 de-energised to open the unloading valve V4, the amber indicator lamp AL becomes extinguished and the green indicator lamp GL becomes illuminated.-

If any unwanted object comes between the can and the head whilst the latter is being lowered, a safety switch SW2 is depressed resulting in the energisation of the relay RG, as a result of which the head-raising solenoid S3 becomes energised by closure of contacts rg5 in the energising circuit of the relay RC. The timing motor TM is arranged then to run on until the fifth cam operates contacts caS and the red indicator lamp RL becomes illuminated to show that the cycle of operation has been interrupted. The obstruction may then be removed.

The pressure plate 21 may with advantage be made rotatable to enable the bundle of sliver to be turned whilst tying to facilitate the operation.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for forming packages or bumps from textile sliver coiled into a can and built up on a support member in the can, comprising a pressure member displaceable between a position outside the can and a position inside the can, means for engaging the sliver support member and causing relative displacement between the pressure member and the support member to compress the sliver in the can therebetween and maintain a predetermined initial compression of the sliver, and means for displacing the pressure member together with the engaged support member to a position outside the can where a final compression of the sliver can be effected by further relative displacement between the support member and the pressure member.

'2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pres sure member comprises a pressure plate mounted on a press head arranged for vertical sliding movement above a can station, and Wherein said means for engaging the sliver support member and causing said relative displacement comprises spindle-engaging means which is mounted on said head for vertical displacement relative thereto and which is adapted to grip a central vertical spindle attached to and extending upwardly from a false bottom plate in the coiler can and projecting from the top of the sliver in the can, whereby the spindle-engaging means when raised relative to said head lifts the spindle and false bottom plate to compress the sliver in the can against the pressure member to bring it under said initial compression at an intermediate position of the spindle-engaging means and under said final compression at a final position of the spindle-engaging means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising automatic control means for carrying out the sequential steps of lowering the head, raising the spindle-engaging means to said intermediate positions, raising the head and then raising the spindle engaging means to said final position.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means comprises a first hydraulic ram mounted on the press head for raising and lowering the spindle-engaging means, a second hydraulic ram arranged for raising and lowering the press head, a hydraulic circuit supplying hydraulic fluid to said ram under the control of valves operated by solenoids and a programme control element for automatically controlling the supply of electrical current to said solenoids.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,145,647 8/1964 Dinkov et al 100-229 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 886,235 1/1962 Great Britain.

536,939 12/1955 Italy. 656,658 9/1960 Italy.

25 BILLY J. WILHITE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

